Could Hawkgirl be on the cusp of mainstream stardom? She’s getting her chance in Superman: Legacy, and the news has put a premium on her early appearances.
Debuting way back in Flash Comics #1, Hawkgirl has been a staple of DC Comics since 1941. Of course, she’s played the supporting role to Hawkman for 82 years now. With her arriving in the all-new, all-different DCU without Hawkman, this could be her time to own the spotlight. If she’s a hit with movie audiences, that could mean big things for her early appearances.
There’s no competing with Flash Comics #1 as far as collecting, but you’d better be ready to cough up five figures for the lowest of grades. It was only June 25 when a 0.5 — yes, a 0.5 — sold for $27,600. Then again, when a comic has the first appearances of the original Flash, Hawkman, Johnny Thunder, and Shiera Sanders (who later becomes Hawkgirl), you’re looking at a holy grail.
Then again, you could go with All-Star Comics #5, when Shiera dons the Hawkgirl costume for the first time. At least you can get a graded 2.5 for less than $2k.
For those of us without thousands of dollars to commit to the Golden Age firsts, fear not; there are plenty of options still on the table. Since there’s been more than one character to call herself Hawkgirl, that gives collectors and investors more prospects.
THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #34
Since those Golden Age firsts are ridiculously expensive, it leaves buyers scrambling for their first Silver Age appearances. These two arrived in the ‘60s via Brave and the Bold #34. What’s more, this issue also gives you the first appearance of Thanagar as revealed in a flashback. With the new DCU kicking off sooner than you might think, Gunn could take us to Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s homeworld and incorporate Nth metal into the larger story. As an added bonus, the issue was drawn by the legendary Joe Kubert, and those are always worth adding to your collections.
Since you have both Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s Silver Age premieres, it’s not surprising this is an expensive investment. However, you can still get up to a 5.0 for less than $600.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: SECRET FILES AND ORIGINS #1
In 1999, DC Comics introduced the second Hawkgirl, Kendra Saunders. She would appear in a cameo in JSA: Secret Files and Origins #1 before being given a full debut in the following issue.
At this point, it’s not clear which version of the character we’ll see in Legacy, but my money is on Kendra. Speaking of money, you can get a 9.8 for around $150 as of late.
HAWKWORLD #1
Depending on which origin Gunn uses in Legacy, we could either see Hawkgirl tied to Ancient Egypt or Thanagar. If he uses the latter, that could lay the groundwork for Hawkwoman, Shayera Thal. While not the original Hawkwoman, she is the most recent. Shayera also happens to be Thanagarian royalty, which would make her a great addition to the mythos.
In fact, there could be an entire world of stories if the DCU ventures to Thanagar, and that would make Hawkworld #1 a great pickup. For the past year, the 9.8 has sold for close to $50.
*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.